Tubing hanger packing



June 1952 c. R. NEILON TUBING HANGER PACKING 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct.30, 1946 INVENTOR B 7/22,?

ATTORN Y June 10, 1952 Q R NEILON 2,600,257

TUBING HANGER PACKING Filed Oct. 30, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 F IG. 3 4INVENTOR @wfiwm ATTORNEY June 10, 1952 c N o 2,600,257

TUBING HANGER PACKING Filed Oct. 50, 1946 s shees-sheet 5 Fl6.4 I5

INVENTOR BY F 5 ATTORNEY Patented June 10, 1952 TUBING HANGER PACKINGClaude R. Neilon, Houston, Tex., assignor to The National SupplyCompany, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania ApplicationOctober 30, 1946, Serial No. 706,779

3 Claims. (01. 285-22) This invention relates to tubing hangers used inconjunction with well heads for use in oil wells. It embodies a tubinghanger which suspends and supports a string of tubing on the casing orwell head at the top of the well by any known means, such as by slips,mandrels, threaded connections, couplings and the like.

For simplicity the term tubing is to be construed to include pipe,casing or any other hollow body that might be used to suspend andsupport or be suspended and supported in a well.

In deep Wells, say 10,000 feet or more, the tubing string may weigh asmuch as several tons, which weight must be suspended and supported fromthe surface. The suspension and supporting means must be strong enoughto Withstand this heavy load and at the same time provide a fluid tightseal against the escape of pressure from the well through thesurrounding casing string through which the tubing passes. The hangermust also be capable of providing a seal against the escape of wellpressure through the open end of the tubing. In the case .where severalconcentric strings of easing are used, the well pressure is preventedfrom escaping between strings and to the atmosphere by the use ofstacked or nesting heads provided with hangers which must efiectivelysuspend and support these strings as well as provide a fluid tight sealat their respectivepoints of suspension.

There have been many types of suspension and seals used heretofore,several of which depend upon the packing to take the heavy weight of thetubing string as well as to provide the seal, the theory being that theweight of the tubing string assists the packing in more intimatelycontacting the usually tapered bore of the well head supporting thesuspension means. Within the limits of the load capacity of the packingthis system works out advantageously but when excessive loads of severaltons are imposed upon the packing (hydraulic or any other type) thepacking may fail, destroying the seal and endangering property and lifefrom the resultant blowout.

The principal object of my invention is to eliminate such hazards andprovide a fluid tight seal for a tubing hanger with a string of tubingsuspended therefrom in which the weight of the tubing string issupported independently of the packing and wherein the packing willpositively withstand excessive well pressures to maintain a fluid tightseal between the hanger and the body of the well head in which thehanger is seated.

Another object of my invention is to provide a fluid tight seal againstthe escape of well pressure through the upper end of the tubing and/orbetween the tubing suspending means or hanger and the body of the casingor well head, and in the case of stacked heads, to prevent leakage ofwell pressure from one string to the next succeeding string of casing ortubing.

Another object of my invention is to provide a metal to metal sealbetween the tubing hanger and the body of the well head supplemented byflexible lip type sealing rings mounted in the hanger body and adaptedto seal the joint against pressure in any direction.

Another object of my invention is to provide a tubing hanger with aplurality of molded resilient lip type packing rings mounted in groovesin the hanger, such that the body of the rings snugly engage therecesses while the protruding lips are free to be depressed intoclearance spaces adjacent the lips when the hanger is seated in thetapered bore of the well head, the said lips exerting an initial sealingaction against the tapered bore and an intensified sealing action whenexcessive well pressure acts upon said lips.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent duringthe course of the following description and appended claims inconnection with the accompanying drawings illustrating theconstructional embodiments of my invention wherein like parts aredesignated by like numerals.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a well head assemblyincorporating my improved sealing means for a tubing hanger.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, taken along the line 2-2of Fig. 1 illustrating my improved sealing means as applied to a tubinghanger of the mandrel suspension type.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a view similar to Fig.2 illustrating my improved sealing means as applied to a tubing hangerof the slip suspension type.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of my tubing hanger, theright half showing the construction of the annular packing grooves andthe annular clearance spaces in section, while the left half shows themolded resilient lip type packing rings mounted in the annular grooves,the lips being shown in their unrestricted position, protruding beyondthe normal peripherial surface of the hanger body.-

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view, partly in section, similar to Fig. 4 butshowing the molded resilient lip type packing rings confined within thetapered bore of the well head and in initial sealing position.

In the drawings the numeral I 0 designates a well head body having avertical opening theret-hrough for the passage of a string of casing ortubing H. The vertical opening l2 merges into a downwardly tapering orconical bore" I3 to receive an. externally tapered or conical shapedtubing hanger l4 adapted to form a metal to metal contact seal with thetapered bore. The lower end of the hanger is internally threaded, as-atI5 to support the tubing l I while a lowering nipple thread 16 isprovided at its upper end.

Annular packing grooves I"! and 18 are provided in the periphery of thetapered portion IQ of the tubing hanger body [4. Annular clearance space20 is formed integral with the upper packing groove ll adjacent itsupper end while annular clearance space 2! is formed integral with thepacking groove 18 adjacent its lower end. These grooves are adapted toreceive annular molded resilient lip type packing rings 22 and 23respectively. Ring 22 base-protruding flexible lip 24 at its upper endto be freely received in clearance space 20 while packin ring '2-3 has aprotruding flexible lip 25 at its lower end to be freely "received inclearance: space :2 i

The two rings 2ZLand Z3. areipositi'onedin their respective packingrooves prior to assembling the'hangerin the well head l0. Asrecitedabove the tapered periphery l9 of the hanger I4 is seated in metal tometal sealing contact with the tapered or conical bore 13. of the wellhead H]. In order to supplement" thesmetal to metal seal the flexiblelips 24 and 25 of the sealing rings are deformed and forced into theclearance spaces 20'and 21 adjacent the grooves l? and I8 as thehangeris seated in the bore where they form an initial sealing contact. withthe tapered b'ore l3 of the head Ill;

An outside adjustable pressure packed hold down-means 26, actingthroughthe flanged top 2'! o'fthewell head I0, is ad'aptedto forcibly urge andfirmly secure the tapered .peripherial portion 19 of the tubing hanger14 upon its seat in the tapered bore l3. A flanged bonnet 28 is secured'tothe flanged top 21 of the well head In by double end-bolts ZQ'andtheir accompanying nuts and sealed against leakage of well pressure byringjoint gasket 30.

l'n'Fig. '3 the tubing II is shown suspended by slips 3! mounted in thehanger'body 14a. The slips are secured within the hanger body by theadjustable packing gland "32 and sealed against leakage of well pressureby the packing element 33-. The balance of the elements shown in Fig. 3function identically with the. corresponding elements in Fig. 2.

As the-wellpressure surges upward between the tubing l l and the head l0it tries to escape and is prevented by the metal to metal seal betweenthe conicalshaped tubing hanger and the tapered bore of the well head.Should the pressure get past' themetal'to metal seal it' will come incontactwith 'the'fiexible lip 25 of the packing ring 23 and tend to pushthislip out against the bore 1 3 of the well head and thu intensify thesealing 'acticn at this zone.

If the well pressure in the tubing 1 I should get into thespace abovethe well head and within the space sealed off by the ring joint gasket30 it will have a tendencyto work down around the upper portion of theopenin I2 in the well head and. on down to the metal to metal sealbetween the tapered peripherial portion IQ of the hanger M'- and thetapered bore I3. Should this seal fail to hold, the pressure will thenexert itself against the flexible lip 24 of the packing ring 22, whichin turn will be deflected outwardly against the conical bore l3 of thewell head and consequentl'y intensi fy the sealing action at this zone.

it will be apparent that my flexible lip type packing rings will effectand maintain a fluid tight seal between the outer periphery of thetubing hanger and the tapered bore in the welt head even if the metal tometal contact fail, and yet the weight of the tubing string will not beimposed upon these packing. rings. This salient feature provides for amore effective and durable packing than has been used heretofore.

While only the preferred form of my invention has been disclosed anddescribed herein, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to thespecific details set forth and wish to reserve to myself any furtherembodiments, modifications and variations that may appear to thoseskilled in the art or come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

.1. An externally tapered hanger for suspending a string of tubing inthe tapered bore of, a well head, said hanger being normally held inmetal to metal. primary sealing contact with;sald bore by the weight ofsaid suspended; tubing, said hanger being further provided with :aresilient supplemental seal normally cooperating with said metal tometal primary seal and actuated by excessive well pressure into intimatesealing contact with said bore comprising, annular grooves in theexternal surface of said. hanger, annular lip type packing ringsprovided with a main body portion secured in said grooves and a flexiblelip portion protruding'in. its free position beyondthe outer surface ofsaid body portion and annular clearance space. adjacent the outerportion of said groove and forming an integral part therewith to freelyreceive said lip portion when said hanger is inserted into said bore.

2. An externally tapered hanger for suspending a string of tubing in thetapered'bore of a well head, said hanger being normally held. in metalto metal primary sealing contact with said bore by the weight of saidsuspended tubing, said hanger being further provided with a. resilientsupplemental seal normally cooperating with said metal .to metal primaryseal and actuated by excessive well pressure into intimate sealingcontact with said bore comprising, annular grooves in the externalsurface of said hanger, annular lip type: packing :rings: provided witha main body'portion securedin'said grooves and a flexible lip portionprotruding in its free position beyond the outer surface of said portionand annular clearance space forming an integral part of. saidgroove-andin the sametransverse plane with said lip portion to freelyreceive saidv lip portion when said hanger is inserted into-saidbore.

3. The combination of. claim 1, plushold-down meansto secure said hangerand. suspended tubing against an up-thrust of well pressure.

CLAUDE R. NEILON.

REFERENCES. CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 339,109 Muddiman Mar. 30, 18861,226,766 Gammeter May 22, 1917 1,900,714 Humason et al Mar. '7, 19332,051,261 MacClatchie Aug. 18, 1936 2,082,413 Muller et al June 1, 19372,148,360 Lemley Feb. 21,1939 2,400,254 Penick May'14, 1946 '2A77';533-ll lhiting .July 26, 1949

